PM Sobotka: No need to revise government’s coalition agreement

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka sees no need to revise the government’s
coalition agreement over recent arguments between the Social Democrat and
ANO parties. Speaking during his visit to the Zlín region on Monday, Mr
Sobotka said adhering to the agreement’s principles was the best way of
settling the dispute; the prime minister and ANO leader and Finance
Minister Andrej Babiš have clashed over plans to assist the mining firm
NWR with keeping its Paskov mine operational until 2016 after Mr Babiš
refused to back the originally proposed 1.1 billion crown in support for
the mine, and made his own deal with the firm. Mr Babiš and Mr Sobotka are
going to discuss their views at a meeting planned for Tuesday, the news
agency ČTK reported.

Finance minister strikes rescue deal for north Moravian coal mine

Finance Minister Andrej Babiš has struck a deal with NWR, the owner of the
north Moravian Paskov coal mine, to keep it operational until 2017. The
Czech government will pay 600 million crowns for social programmes for the
mine’s employees; the mining firm NWR has agreed to spend 500 million on
the remediation of the mine, Mr Babiš told reports on Monday after a
meeting with NWR board chairman, Gareth Perry. The finance minister said
the deal was yet to be approved by the government and the European
Commission. The government was planning to spend around 1.1 billion crowns
to keep the unprofitable mine operational until 2016.

Czechs’ trust in EU at all-time low

Czechs’ trust in EU institutions is at an all-time low ahead of the
upcoming 10th anniversary of the country’s accession to the European
Union on May 1, the ctk news agency reports. Since trust in the EU peaked
at 56 percent in the late 1990s Czechs’ satisfaction with their
country’s EU membership has decreased by one third. The slide has been
confirmed by several independent polling agencies. A CVVM poll which puts
the trust rating at 34 percent, says that in addition to the economic
crisis the slide is due to growing resentment against EU red tape and
limitations enforced by EU legislation.

Czech exports to Ukraine dropped by 29 pct in February

Czech exports to Ukraine dropped by 28.8 percent in February while exports
to Russia registered an 0.4 percent in that month, the Czech Statistical
Office said on Monday. Analysts see the Crimea crisis as the main reason
behind the drop, as well as a slowdown of the Russian economy. Overall,
Czech exports grew by over 15 percent in February, driven by trade with
Germany, Austria, China, France, and other countries. A spokesman for the
Exporters’ Association said Czech companies were concerned about an
escalation of the crisis in Ukraine, adding that many expect lower volumes
of new orders from their Russian business partners.

Industrial growth accelerates to 6.7 percent in February

Czech industrial growth accelerated in February to 6.7 percent year on
year, according to figures released by the Czech Statistics Office on
Monday; compared to January, the industry grew by 1.7 percent. The value of
new orders rose by nearly 20 percent, mainly thanks to foreign demand. The
growth is attributed mainly to the production of motor vehicles, metal
construction as well as rubber and plastic manufacturing. Analysts say the
latest figures confirm the continuing recovery of the Czech economy, and
expect substantial manufacturing growth in the coming months as well.

Construction sector grew by 6.1 pct in February

Czech industrial growth accelerated in February to 6.7 percent year on
year, according to figures released by the Czech Statistics Office on
Monday; compared to January, the industry grew by 1.7 percent. The value of
new orders rose by nearly 20 percent, mainly thanks to foreign demand. The
growth is attributed mainly to the production of motor vehicles, metal
construction as well as rubber and plastic manufacturing. Analysts say the
latest figures confirm the continuing recovery of the Czech economy, and
expect substantial manufacturing growth in the coming months as well.

Civic Democrats to give back dubious one-million donation

The Civic Democrats will give back one million crowns they had received
under suspicious circumstances, party chair Petr Fiala told a news
conference in Prague on Monday. The party received the donation in 2013
from a 22-year-old woman on a maternity leave; Czech medial reported she
owns no property, and speculated the real donor might have been her
partner, an entrepreneur in medical products. The Civic Democrats said they
would give the money back despite the fact no law was breached, and that
they would tighten the rules for accepting donations in the future.

Dawn leader says party candidate for EP has “not a drop of Gypsy blood”

The leader of the Dawn party, Tomio Okamura, said one of his party’s
candidates in the European elections, Klára Samková, had “not a drop of
Gypsy blood” in her veins. Ms Samková has worked as attorney for a
number of Romany clients and was married to a Romany man. Mr Okamura made
the comment on Facebook when asked why the party, known for its anti-Romany
rhetoric, had fielded Ms Samková for the election. The comments came under
criticism from Romany advocates; for her part, Klára Samková came out in
defence of Mr Okamura, saying he meant no offence.

Iraq to buy 12 Czech-made combat aircraft

Iraq will buy 12 Czech-built L-159 aircraft, the news website lidovky.cz
reported on Monday. The contract, signed by Representatives of Iraq’s
Ministry of Defence on Sunday, is worth around 200 million US dollars, the
website said quoting sources familiar with the deal. The Czech military has
been trying to sell off the redundant aircraft after it only found use for
28 out of 72 planes it ordered in 1997. Last year, a US training company
signed a deal to buy 28 L-159 planes for around 500 million crowns.

Camera trap confirms wolves’ return to north Bohemia

A photograph of a wolf taken by a camera trap in north Bohemia last week
confirms the species’ return to the region, the Nature Conservation
Agency said. The photo, taken in a nature reserve near Doksy, some 60 km
north of Prague, shows a single wolf which experts believe came from an
area on the German-Polish border where around 100 wolves live in several
packs; environmentalists say it’s not clear whether the animal was part
of a pack but believe it is only a matter of time before wolf packs venture
to the Czech territory as well. Wolves in Bohemia and Moravia were
eradicated in the 19th century but have started to return in recent years,
mainly from Slovakia and the German-Polish border region.